Medical equipment replacement prioritisation: A comparison between linear and fuzzy system models

In hospital management, health technology assessment techniques are being increasingly developed. This paper presents a comparison of the results obtained using two models for replacement priority value calculation applied to the Galliera hospital in Genoa (Italy). One the models was developed at the Galliera Hospital along the lines of the model by Fennigkoh and addresses four primary replacement issues: equipment service and support, equipment function, cost benefits and clinical efficacy, by a "yes-no" scheme. This model is compared with a model based on fuzzy logic. The comparison between the two models shows a conservative behaviour by the Galliera model, according to which 77.4% of the analysed instrumentation is maintained, whereas the classification by the fuzzy model allows for a better discrimination among the devices.